Method of assembling electrical connector elements



July l2, 1955 w. A. ULINE 2,712,687

METHOD OF ASSEMBLING ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ELEMENTS original Filed Maronfr, 194e l 'n 2/ 7 Z5 IN V EN TOR.

nited States Patent METHOD F ASSEMBLING ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ELEMENTSWilliam A. Uline, Sidney, N. Y., assignor to Bendix AviationCorporation, Sidney, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Originalapplication March 7, 1946, Serial No. 652,566, now Patent No. 2,603,682,dated July 15, 1952. Divided and this application October 1, 1948,Serial No. 52,213

Claims. (Cl. 29--155.55)

This invention relates shielded electrical connection and to tools foraccomplishing it. The invention is described in connection with acopending application Serial No. 652,566 disclosing an invention ofwhich this applicant is coinventor, but the particular use This soleapplication is tion of Uline and Rowell, Serial Number 652,566, filedMarch 7, 1946, now Patent 2,603,682, granted July l5, 1952.

ln shielded electrical contacts of a valuable type, plug and socketcontacts, attached to appropriate leads, are mounted by means ofresilient blocks or inserts in metal shells that can be joined together,for instance by screw threading. In the invention referred to, theshells, contacts, and inserts have cooperating conformations which act,after assembly, to hold the contacts in selected position, to preventdisplacement of the contacts and to prevent dislodgement of the inserts.Considerable pressure may be applied to the inserts in connecting theplug and socket, in separating them, and through the tensioning of thecable, and the resistance to displacement must be sufficient to overcomeall such forces. To accomplish these things the inserts are sealed undercompression, and to assemble the units with the loose contact in aprecise position is very difficult.

In order to assemble the connections I have invented a tool and a methodwhich permit the precise positioning of a contact and an insert within ashell, and the positioning of protective sleeves over the joints betweencontacts and insulated wires. In general the tool is comprised of ahollow tube which distends, and a pusher for displacing, the insert.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to like partsthroughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the tool in operation toposition an inner insert grommet, and

Fig. 2 is a like section of the tool employed to position an outerinsert.

Fig. 3 is a similar section of a final assembly of a fitting, cable,contact, insert and grommet after removal of the assembly tools shown inFig. 2; and,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the contact supporting insert inunbiased condition.

Referring now to the numerals of the drawing and to Figs. 1 and 2 whichshow a preferred form of the tool and disclose the process of assembly,is a hose fitting comprising an elbow 11, and having a body portion 12that is adapted to make contact through a spherical face 13 with acooperating fitting. The fitting may also include an internally screwthreaded nut 14 mounted on the body portion 12 by means of overlappingflanges 15 and 16. A hose ferrule 17, shown in Fig. 2 only, fits snuglywithin the end of the elbow 11 and is preferably attached thereto bysoldering. The fitting 10 of Fig. 1 may be at one end of a hose 19 andthe identical fitting of Fig. 2 may be at the other end of said hose,the same numerals being used to identify the corresponding parts of bothfittings. The hose 19 contains to assembling the parts of a isillustrative, not a limitation. a division of said joint applicaaninsulated cable 18 which with its attached contacts 20 is of such lengththat when the contacts are properly positioned in the fittings the cablewill be tight. It is to be understood that this equality need not beexact, the criterion being the production of an assembled unit havingrelative slack in neither cable nor hose. This construction permits thecable and the hose to be of substantially snug and mutually supportingfit although in the drawings they are shown to be of different sizes forpurposes of clarity and to illustrate the adaptability of the inventionto variations in construction.

Such constructions were unknown to the prior art, and no methods wereavailable by which they could be made. The novel constructions hereindescribed were facilitated by the novel method that also forms a part ofthis invention. This novel method is illustrated in a preferred form inFigs. l and 2, but before describing the method there will be describedcertain tools which are adapted for facilitating the carrying out of themethod. In those figures the numeral 21 refers to one part, of atwo-part tool 21*25, having a hollow end 22 and a pointed end 23. Thetool is adapted to distend a grommet 33 having small inner diameter tosuch size that it can pass freely over the connector 2t) and the cable18. The cooperating tool part 25 has a sliding fit over the part 21. Thepart 25 is tubular, having an elongated part 26 with a fiat end 27adapted to serve as a pusher. The opposite end 23 is internally enlargedat 29 for a certain depth, the enlargement being termi- The interior ofthe body portion 12 of the fitting has an annular abutment 31 and anannular abutment 32 spaced therefrom, the abutments and the cylindricalwall forming a cylindrical chamber with annular end walls whichconstitute positioning means for cooperation with grommet 33 and aninsert 34.

For cooperation with that chamber in the mounting of the contacts in thefittings there are two flexible sleeves in the form of grommet 33 andinsert 34 having external 36 of such size that, when they are firmlytheir flanges 35, 36 iit 32 and constitute cooperating Grommet 33 istapered to lend it toward its small end. The gromsatisfactorily be madeof rubber resilient and dielectric material.

The contact 20 has a reduced portion 37. The insert 34 is provided withan internal flange 4t) of size adapted to fit the reduced portion 37,both cooperating parts having abutments to prevent disengagement afterassemwithin the abutments 31, positioning means.

increasing exibility met and insert may or of other exible,

for relatively positioning the insert and contact.

In assembling the device the hose and fittings may be first completed.All connections between the hose advantage. In soldering the hoseferrule to the elbow or other connector, caution should be employed,when a rubber hose is employed, not to unduly overheat the hose ferrule17.

When the hose has thus been prepared, a cable of correct length isselected, the ends of the wire are uncovered and cleaned, and one end issoldered in the solder well 38 of a contact 20.

In Figs. l and 2 the contact is shown to be of receptacle or sockettype, but it could be of pin or other type if desired.

The cable thus having been soldered at one end to a contact, the freeend is passed through the hose assembly until the attached socketcontact rests in the elbow 11 whereupon the second contact is attachedto the other end of the cable as it projects from the hose into orbeyond the fitting. The cable is returned to a balanced position withinthe hose and fittings, after the second contact has -been attached, andthe parts are ready for assembly as a unit.

The grommet 33 being adapted to Vlit either snugly to, or with onlyslight spacing from, the cable 18, could not normally bc passed over theconnector 20 without disturbing the relation of that connector to thefitting to such an extent that final adiustment would be impossible.However, by this invention the grommet is passed over the small end 23of the tool 21, and arranged in distended position about the hollow end22 thereof. The sleeve portion 25 of the tool is then passed over thepart 21 and brought into abutting engagement with the end of thegrornnict 33. The contact 2f? and the end of the cable i8 are thenadmitted to the hole in the tool vas shown in Fig. l, the part 23 of thetool Z1 is firmly grasped and the sleeve 25 is employed to thrust thegrommet toward the position shown in Fig. 2. this position the elbow,the bracing effect of the hose, and the natural stiffness of the wirecooperate. The tool 25 is then removed and `the insert 34 is passed overthe tool 27.. The tool 2.5 is then teiescoped von the tool 21 in reverseposition as shown in Fig. 2, and is employed to push the insert 34 intothe position wherein the enlarged portion of grommet 33 and insert 34tit within the chamber of the body portion 12 of the fitting. Thecylindrical part 28 fits over the end of the insert and prevents it fromexpanding against the body 12 and stopping the progress of the insert.

By holding the tool 25 in position and withdrawing the tool 21 thedistended insert is permitted to conform itself to the shape of thecontact Zia-and by withdrawing the tool 23 the encircled part of thegrommet is released. 5

1n some instances this conformity may not be perfect in the firstinstance, but it can be made so by moving the contact slightly back andforth, within the insert. When the final adjustment has thus been made,a substantially permanent and very precisely aligned connection existsbetween the hose and fittings and the cable and contacts.

One end of the unit having thus been assembled a similar procedure isapplied to the other end, producing a unitary structure wholly new andpossessed of great advantages.

An advantage of the invention is in facilitating the mounting in correctposition of contacts in protective shells.

Another advantage is in that the tool facilitates the new method ofassembling suoli leads as herein described.

A further advantage is in the adaptability of the tool to theemplacement of all sorts of flexible inserts between inner outerbounding bodies. Other advantages of the invention will occur to personswho employ the tool and method.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of the present inventionmay be made Without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificembodiments.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of assembling a hose and fitting with a cable and contactthat comprises the steps of assembling the cable and contact within thehose and fitting, distending a tubular resilient insert adapted to fitsnugly within the fitting and around the contact with external andinternal flanges of the insert in cooperation with means in the fittingand on the contact, respectively, for holding the insert in positionwithin the fitting and for holding the contact in position within theinsert, passing the distended insert over the contact and into positionwithin the fitting, and releasing the insert to engage the contactwhereby thc parts are accurately positioned with respect to-each other.

in attaining Lil 5' and contact within the hose and fitting,

2. A method of assembling a hose and fitting with a cable and itscontact that comprises joining the end of the hose to a fitting havingmeans therein for holding an insert in position, attaching an end of thecable to a contact having means thereon for holding it in position in aninsert, placing said cable and contact within said hose and fitting,mounting on a tube a resilient insert having means for cooperating withthe holding means of said Afitting and said contact, sliding the tubeover said contact, and pushing the insert off the tube within saidfitting and around said contact into cooperation with the holding meansof said fitting and said contact.

3. A methodof assembling a hose and fitting with a cable and contactthat comprises assembling the cable said Contact and said fitting havingholding 'means thereon for cooperation with an insert therebetween,distending an insert sufficiently to pass over said contact and passingit thereover, said insert having cooperating means thereon forcooperation with said holding means on the contact and the fitting, andreleasing the insert into cooperation with the contact in the fittingwhen said cooperating means on the insert are in position forcooperation with the holdingmeans on said contact and fitting, wherebythe contact and the vfitting are accurately positioned with respect toeach other.

4. The method of assembling a hose and fitting with a cable and itscontact, comprising the steps of joining the hose to a fitting having aninternal circumferential rib, attaching to the end of the cable acontact having an external circumferential groove, placing the cable andits contact within the hose and fitting, mounting on a tube a tubularresilient insert having external means for cooperating with said rib tohold the insert in position in the fitting and an internal iiange forreception by the groove onrsaid contact, sliding the tube over saidcontact -in Said fitting, pushing the insert into said fitting until therib in the fitting cooperates with said external means on the insert,and withdrawing said tube from the insert to permit the insert to extendinto the groove on the contact.

5. A method of assembling a hose and a fitting connected thereto with acable having a contact connected to the end-of the cable and supportedin the fitting by a resilient insert, comprising the steps of joiningthe hose to a fitting having means therein for holding an insert inposition, attaching an end of the cable to a contact having means forcooperation with said insert to hold the contact in position, placingthe cable and contact within the hose and fitting, mounting a resilientinsert on a tube, said insert having means Vfor cooperating with theholding means ofsaid contact and said fitting, sliding the tube over.the contact in said fitting, pushing said insert into position forcooperation with the holding means in the fitting, and withdrawing thetube to permit the insert to contract around said contact intocooperation with the holding `means on the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,593,865 Caron luly 27, 1926 l1,690,231 Hulbert Sept. 2l, 19261,778,399 YPhilps Oct. 14, 1930 1,971,251 vCornell Aug. 2l, 19342,038,840 'Hall Y Apr. 28, 1936 y2,320,553 Barnes .lune 1, 19432,327,088 Barnes, A Aug. 17, 1943 2,328,771 Barnes Sept. 7, 19432,348,919 Milton May 16, 1944 2,396,283 Papst ,Man 12, 1946 2,422,549Hogin .Tune 17, 1947 2,432,701 Vany Orden Dec. 16, 1947 2,435,868 'BoydFeb. 10, 1948 2,522,495 Ballagh Sept. 19, 1950 '2`;6'03,'682 :Uline etal. :July A15, 1952

